Finding Interstellar Particle Impacts on Stardust Aluminium Foils: The Safe Handling, Imaging, and Analysis of Samples Containing Femtogram Residues

Landgraf, M.
Chater, R. J.
Leitner, J.
Hoppe, P.
Huth, J.
Stadermann, F. J.
Davis, A. M.
Leroux, H.
Floss, C.
Hoerz, F.
Burchell, M. J.
Armes, S. P.
Gruen, E.
Huss, G. R.
Howard, L. E.
Ball, A. D.
Flynn, G.
Howe, G.
Heck, P.
Kearsley, A. T.
Brownlee, D. E.
Gainsforth, Z.
Westphal, A. J.
Bridges, J. C.
Borg, J.

Abstract

Impact ionisation detectors on a suite of spacecraft have shown the direction, velocity, flux and mass distribution of smaller ISP entering the Solar System. During the aphelion segments of the Stardust flight, a dedicated collector surface was oriented to intercept ISP of beta = 1, and returned to Earth in January 2006. In this paper we describe the probable appeareance and size of IS particle craters from initial results of experimental impacts and numerical simulation, explain how foils are being prepared and mounted for crater searching by automated acquisition of high magnification electron images (whilst avoiding contamination of the foils) and comment on appropriate analytical techniques for Preliminary Examination (PE)